Lionel Hollins Wants Another Head Coaching Opportunity

After getting let go—well, “not retained”—by the Memphis Grizzlies last summer, Lionel Hollins has yet to be offered a head coaching job in the NBA. And after some time off, he wants back in. Via ESPN: “As sabbaticals go, the one Lionel Hollins has been on the last few months has been pretty nice, but the former Memphis Grizzlies coach said in an extended interview with ESPN.com that he is ready to get back to work. … ‘I believe I’ve established myself as a head coach and I’d like another opportunity to show that [my success] wasn’t a fluke,’ Hollins said. ‘I feel like I’ve proven I can take a young team and develop it, then sustain what I’ve done by what I did in the last five years in Memphis.’ Hollins was let go by the Grizzlies despite winning a franchise-record 56 games and leading Memphis to its first Western Conference Finals appearance last season. The reasons were philosophical in nature, after a season in which Hollins didn’t always publicly embrace the moves or direction set by the Grizzlies’ new ownership and front office. … ‘I was antsy when training camp started. But once they started playing, I was comfortable not being there. I get to watch a lot of basketball on TV. And now I’ve gotten to re-evaluate what I like to do and what I want to do.'”